Peooess of and appaeatus foe treating fats and oils foe



(N o Model l') W. F. G. MQCARTY. I

If-BIOGESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING FATS AND OILS FOR OBTAINING FATTY ACIDS.

No. 283,266. lz gngnted Aug. 14, 1883.

UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM FITZ-CHARLES MOGARTY, OF BERLIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO ARTHUR MARIX, OF ST.-PETERSBURG, RUSSIA.

PROCESS OF AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING FATS AND OILS EOR OBTAINING FATTY ACIDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters lPatent'No. 283,266, dated August; 14, 1883.

Application filed July 27, 1882. (No model.) Patented in England May 31, 1882, No. 2,559; in Belgium June 15, 1882, No. 58,053; in Italy June 21, 1882, No. 14315-343 in France August 12, 1882, No. 149,118; in CanadaOctober 14, 1832, No. 15,628; in Spain November 10, 1882. No. 2,514; in Portugal November 19, 1882,}1'0. 772, and in Germany June 3, 1883, No. 23,465.

To all whom it nupy 6077106777,.

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM Frrz-Gnnnnns lVICCARTY, of Paris, in the French Republic, and at present of Berlin, in the German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of and Apparatus for Treating Fats and Oils for Obtaining Fatty Acids, known as the Vacuum Emulsion Proces's, of which the following is a full and clear specification. p r My invention relates to an improved process 'fortreating fats and oils'for obtaining fatty acids, known asthefvacuum emulsion process. sentially a mechanical, not a chemical process, I open up the molecules and destroy, or break through the fine film of albumine or the cellular membrane surrounding each molecule. My process is economical, a great savingof time is attained, and a better product extracted than is possible withany of the processes for extracting stearine and glycerine from fatty substances, known up to the present day as the grease, is not subjected to any saponi' fication whatsoever, and has not been adulterated by any admixture of chemicals, so thatI am enabled to produce pure stearine or stearic acid with a high melting-point and glycerine ofabsolute purity, while the oleine is better suited for making soap than that attained by any other process. By employing neutral carbonate of magnesia or other finely-subdivided neutral substance I achieve a purely mechanical action, so that the said finely-divided sub; stance acts by abrasion on the cellular membrane or fine albumine film surroundingithe molecules forming the grease, insuch manner that the molecules are opened up, the glyceral oxide is freed, unites with the water employed in the process, and forms glyceral hydrate or glycerated water, leaving the grease remaining as fatty acids. By employing the vacuum the greases or fatty acids and the glycerated water are separated according to their specific gravity, and by the, continued application of thesaid vacuum by means of a suitable vacuum apparatus or air-pump the greases are exhausted into a suitable receiver or condenser, when the same are cooled or condensed in a By means of my process, which is espurer and whiter condition than by any other known process,forthe reason thatless heat is employed and no chemicals applied to decom A is the boiler; 13, the tube or pipe for supplying the apparatus with molten grease or fatty matter, and is also employed as steam pipe for admitting steam into the vessel or digester A.

O O are four or more pipes or tubes, which at the lower end reach below the perforated false bottom a and within a short distance of 6 the bottom of the boiler, digester, or vessel proper, A. These-pipes serve as circulatingtubes, and are provided at the upper part with a suitable bend, whereas their upper extremities are provided witha suitable rose, in order to attain a better separation of themolecules and to create a greater degree of friction, abrasion, or attrition between the said molecules and the finely-divided neutral carbonate of magnesia or other suitable neutral substance.

D is the brick-work surrounding the boiler, vessel, or digester A, in order. to prevent radiation; or, instead of the brick-work, the boiler can be mounted on a suitable frame and well coated or covered with a suitable nonconducting material.

E is a suitable pipe or tube for supplying the jacket H with water for cooling the vessel or boiler A and its contents. r

F is a pipe or tubefor letting off the water connected with a suitable vacuumapp'aratus or air-pump, and serves not only for drawing off the stearic acid or stearine and theoleine, but also for allowing the carbonic-acid gas given off during the firstpart of the process to escape either into the open air or into a suit able condenser.

G is a screw-valve for cutting off the connection between vessel A.

the pipe G and the boiler or K is a pipe or tube provided with a suitable valve or cock, and is employed for drawing off the glyceral hydrate or glycerated water, which is effected by means of the vacuum apparatus or air-pump, or by means of a suitable siphon.

L is a pipe connected to the bottom of the boiler or vessel A, which can be employed for a like purpose as the tube or pipe K, or for letting off any part of the contents of the boiler or vessel A, as may be desired.

M is a manometer, .which is connected with the upper part of the boiler or vessel A, in order to be able to control the pressure in the same by means of a pipe, m. p

N is a thermometer attached to the upper end of the pipe or tube 42, in order to be able to control the temperature in the said boiler or vessel.

Sis a suitable pipe or tube leading to the safety-valve.

Ois a water-gage for controlling the height of the contents of the boiler.

P is a pipe or tube for testing or examining the progress of the process.

Q is a pipe or tube for supplying the vessel, receptacle, or boiler A with water.

R is a pipe or tube for allowing any superfiuous water to escape from the water-jacket or space H.

a b are two perforated plates or sieves, which are inserted in the upper part of the boiler or vessel A in order to promote the separation of the molecules and increase the attrition or abrasion on'the albumine film or membrane surrounding the molecules.

0 is a perforated false bottom tothe vessel or boiler A, for the purpose mentioned above.

It will be evident to any person skilled in the art that other means can be employed for may bemore fully understood, I will now proeeed to describe the operation of-the said apparatus and the method of carrying out my process aforenamed.

The grease or fatty substance employed in my said process is first melted in a suitable vessel and introduced into the' apparatus, boiler, or vessel A by means of the tube or pipe B, which said pipe or tube is provided with a three-way cock or valve. Water equal to ten per cent. of the weight of the grease is 7 now let into the boiler or vessel by means of the supply-pipe Q, and free steam admitted through the pipe B or the pipe K until an emulsion is formed, after which neutral carbonate of magnesia, equal to about one-tenth per cent., in weight, of the fatty matter to be treated, is admitted or forced into the boiler or vessel by means of the pipe B or the pipe Q, which said neutral carbonate of magnesia, talc, pipe-clay, chalk, or other finely-subdivided neutral substance is previously mixed with a suitable quantity of water in order to thoroughly dissolve the same. I now c011- tinue to introduce steam into the boiler or ves sel by means of the pipe or tube B until any or all carbonic-acid gas evolved in the apparatus is driven off through the open valve. G and the pipe or tube G. The valve G is now screwed down onto its seat, the steam cut off, and the apparatus heated by means of a suitable firing until the thermometer n shows a heat in the boiler or vessel A equal to about 160 centigrade or 320 Fahrenheit. I maintain this last heat for about four to six hours, according to the nature of the grease, after which a vacuum is formed, and in order to facilitate the formation of this said vacuum the fire is put out and cold water introduced into the jacket orwaterspace H and the grease and the glycerated water allowed to separate, whereupon the glycerated water or glyceral hydrate is drawn off by means of the pipeK and a suitable siphon, or, as aforementioned, by means of an appropriate vacuum apparatus or pump. The valve G is now opened, a vacuum created, and the fatty acids drawn off into a suitable condensing apparatus, in which a vacuum has been formed, and which said vacuum is main.- tained by means of an appropriate vacuumpump. The greases or fatty acids are now run off into asuitable closed vessel and allowed to crystallize, after which a vacuum is created at the lower part of the said vessel. By opening a stop-cock provided for this purpose air is introduced above the said greases or fatty acids, and by means of the pressure so created the oleine is forced out of the upper part of the said closed vessel through a perforated plate or plates or false bottom covered with hair-cloth or fine wire-gauze, and is allowed to flow off by a cock or valve at the bottom of the said closed vessel into a suitable vat or receptacle arranged for this purpose. The oleine, now separated from the crystallizedfatty.acids, is absolutely free from all chemical compounds or admixtures, and is admirably adapted for soap-making and lubricating purposes. The fatty acids which have not been subjected to saponification are absolutely free from all impurities and can be applied to greater advantage than heretofore in making candles and such like, as the melting-point has not been decreased, and the glycerine obtained is purer than can be extracted by any other known process. I

Having now described my said invention for an improved process for treating fats and oils for obtaining fatty acids, known as the vacuum emulsion process, I wish it to be understood that what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The described process of effecting a mechanical action on the fine albuminous film surrounding the molecules, to Wit: by the agency of neutral carbonate of magnesia, talc,

pipe-clay, chalk, or other finely-subdivided substance, and whereby the attrition, abrasion,

or friction between the molecules and also between the finely-subdivided neutral matter opens up the molecules and gives the glyceral oxide of fatty acids free without any saponifilo cation ensuingand without lowering the melting-point of the stearic acid or stearine, sub stantially as and for the purpose set forth, and shown in the accompanying drawings.

2. The described emulsion process for ex- 1 traeting glycerine and stearine or stearic acid from fatty substances, consisting in using an emulsion of neutral carbonate of magnesia or other finely-subdivided neutral substance in order to open up the molecules in a purely meehanical manner, and whereby the glyeeral oxide is ,freed, unites with the water employed in the process, and forms glyceral hydrate or glycerated water, leaving the grease remain ing as fatty acids, substantially as and for the g 5 purpose shown and described 3. The described process of separating the glyeerated water from the fatty acids accord ing to their specific gravity and of exhausting the said fatty acids from the vessel in which they have been treated into a suitable receiver or condenser, the same consisting in the agency of a vacuum created by any suitable vacuum apparatus, and in cooling or condensing said fatty acids in a purer, whiter condition and at higher melting-point than usual and with less heat and without the necessity of chemicals to decompose or change the nature of the greases, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described. v a

4. The described apparatus for the treat- .ment, by my vacuum emulsion process, of

greases or fats for the production of glycerine and stearine or stearic acid, consisting of a digester, A, surrounded with non-conducting material, supply-pipe B, pipes O, water-space H, perforated plates or sieves a. b c, and suitable inlet and outlet pipes.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM I I'lZ-OHARLES MGCAR'IY.

In presence of JAMES T. DU Bois,

ELIsE BRAUN. 

